The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1887-09-22
DEVELOPING THE NEW SOUTH.
What Gen. Wilder Says About the
Wonderful Resources of the
Country.
Progress of Work of His New Railroad
Which Will Be the Shortest Line
from Indianapolis to the
Seaboard.
Indianapolis Journal of the 9th,

Journal of the 9Th,
Brigadier-general John T. Wilder
was in the city yesterday, on his way
to the reunion OF his famous mounted |
infantry brigade, which is to be held |
at Greencastle on Wednesday and |
Thursday of this week. He appears
in excellent health, and in high spirits
at the prospect of getting among his
old soldiers. When a Journal report
er found him he was in specially |
jubilant mood over the discovery of
the original colors of his regiment
the Seventeenth Volunteers. When
the regiment entered the three years
service they drew flag from the
State authorities, and carried it
through their hard fighting of that
time. When they re-enlisted at the
close of the three years term they
drew new flag from the national
government, and the old flag passed
into the custody of Henry. w. Tute-
wiler, of this city, who preserved it
until yesterday, he presented it to
General Wilder. He had supposed
that the old standard was lost, and
hailed it as a friend from the grave
Perhaps no man has been more in
tluential in creating "the New South"
than General Wilder. Hitherto he
has been engaged chiefly in the iron
industry at Chattanooga, but for six
months past he has been in supervis-
ion of the construction of the north
half of the Charleston, Cincinnati &
Chicago railroad, which is being built
in an almost direct line from Ashland,
on the Ohio river, to Charleston,
South Carolina. He is Vice-president
of the company that is building the
road.
"Your line will give the Northwest
a new outlet" was remarked to the
General.
eyes," he replied. at will be the
shortest line to the seaboard from Chi
cago, Toledo, Indianapolis and Gin
cinnati."
"What character of country do you
traverse?"
"The finest mineral country in
America. We cut through the extern
sive coal field of eastern Kentucky,
the greatest undeveloped coal field in
the United States and through the
great iron beds of Eastern Tennessee,
southwestern Virginia, and western
North Carolina. There is a belt of
about three hundred miles between
the nearest parallel lines east and
west of us; consequently, we shall
open a new country, and in several
respects, especially as to the iron in
dustry, it is destined to be Of the
highest importance.
"Will it be equal to the Alabama re-
gion that has attracted so much at
tention of late?"
Il consider it superior. We have
better coal, and more 1T. We have
all the red hematite ores that are in
use at Birmingham, and also much
finer class OF ores for the manufacture
Of Bessemer steel. You may judge Of
my confidence in the region by the
fact that | have purchashed 81 100
acres of land within the last month.
By the way, Northern people have
heard so much of Birmingham that
they think the manufacturing inter-
ests OF the South center there. This
is delusion that results from the
boom that place has received. Chat
tanooga has more than twice as ma
ny manufactures as Birmingham, and
pays more than three times as much
wages annually. Chattanooga has
121 factories of all kinds, and more
than 5000 skilled workmen. | built
the first iron works there, and the
first in the South, eighteen years ago
Now more than a hundred millions
are invested in that industry in the
South. There are seven millions and
a halt invested in manufacturing al
Chattanooga, and the yearly product
is twelve millions"
"When will your road be complet
ed?"
ave expect to finish it in about two
years and half. We have force O.
5000 men at work"
"Is Charleston enough of com
mercial town for a good terminus?"
ooh, yes. 1t is the best city on tht
Southern seaboard, with perhaps tht
: exception Of Savannah, which rank
close to it. It has been rather SLOW
but it has been wakened to new lif'
by the discovery of the enormous bed
of phosphates which are now know
to underlie five counties about it
There are beds of fossil fish-bones
J shells and other animal remain
which are used for fertilizers. Their
are remains of all sorts of marine an,
amphibious monsters among them
t They find sharks teeth there so largt
| thnt n natnralisis nnmnnte Ihat The mon